Location detection systems and methods

ABSTRACT

A location detection system identifies the locations of medical devices such as patient support apparatuses and/or patient care devices within a medical facility. The devices communicate via a wired connection to one or more medical facility systems (e.g. nurse call system, computer network, etc.), and/or via a wireless connection to such systems. The location detection system automatically determines location information of the devices and communicates the location information so that the recipient of any outgoing alerts and/or other information sent from the devices is apprised of the location of the particular device sending the alert or other information. Caregivers are thereby able to respond to the correct location of an alert, and software systems such as EMR systems, admission discharge and transfer (ADT) systems, etc. are able to correlate transmitted device data with the location and/or patient assigned to that location.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority to U.S. patent application Ser. No.17/178,469 filed Feb. 18, 2021, by inventors Michael Hayes et al. andentitled LOCATION DETECTION SYSTEMS AND METHODS, which in turn claimspriority to U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/720,590 filed Dec. 19,2019, by inventors Michael Hayes et al. and entitled LOCATION DETECTIONSYSTEMS AND METHODS, which in turn claims priority to U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 15/988,373 filed May 24, 2018, by inventors MichaelHayes et al. and entitled LOCATION DETECTION SYSTEMS AND METHODS, whichis a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 15/075,747 filedMar. 21, 2016, by inventors Michael Joseph Hayes et al. and entitledLOCATION DETECTION SYSTEMS AND METHODS, and which claims priority toU.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 62/145,276 filed Apr. 9,2015 by inventors Michael Hayes et al. and entitled LOCATION DETECTIONSYSTEMS AND METHODS, the complete disclosures of all of which are herebyincorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND

The present disclosure relates to patient support apparatuses (e.g.beds, stretchers, cots, recliners, etc.), and patient care devices, andmore particularly to systems and methods for determining andcommunicating the location of the patient support apparatuses and/orpatient care devices within medical facilities.

Patient support apparatuses and patient care devices used in medicalfacilities often are designed to include one or more alerts statesand/or to generate data that is desirably communicated to anotherlocation within the healthcare facility (e.g. a nurses' station, anelectronic medical records (EMR) server, to mobile devices carried byindividuals, etc.). In order for the alerts and/or data to be meaningfulto the recipient, it is typically desirable to identify the room numberor other location identifier that indicates where the patient supportapparatus or patient care device is currently positioned.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure relates to improved manners of identifying thelocation of medical devices such as patient support apparatuses and/orpatient care devices within a medical facility. The various aspects ofthe disclosure are applicable to devices that communicate via a wiredconnection to a medical facility system (e.g. nurse call system,computer network, etc.), as well as devices that communicate via awireless connection to one or more medical facility systems, and in somecases, devices that communicate via both wired and wireless connections.Aspects of the disclosure allow the locations of such devices to bedetermined automatically and communicated off the device so that therecipient of the outgoing alerts and/or other information from thedevice is apprised of the location of that particular device. Thisallows caregivers to respond to the correct location of an alert, aswell as software systems (e.g. EMR systems, admission discharge andtransfer (ADT) systems, etc.) to correlate the received data with thelocation and/or patient assigned to that location.

According to one aspect, a location detection system is provided thatincludes a mobile patient support apparatus and a stationary modulepositioned at a known location with a healthcare facility. The mobilepatient support apparatus has a first unique identifier, a sensor, and afirst wireless transceiver. The mobile patient support apparatus isadapted to transmit via the first wireless transceiver the uniqueidentifier and at least one signal that is based on data from thesensor. The stationary module includes a second unique identifier and asecond wireless transceiver that is adapted to receive both the firstunique identifier and the signal from the mobile patient supportapparatus. The stationary module also includes a third wirelesstransceiver that is adapted to transmit the first and second uniqueidentifiers to a wireless access point of a computer network. Thestationary module further includes a wired transceiver that is adaptedto transmit the signal over a cable to a nurse call system.

In other embodiments, the stationary module does not transmit the firstunique identifier over the cable to the nurse call system, but insteadexclusively transmits the first unique identifier over the thirdwireless transceiver.

The first and second wireless transceivers operate in accordance withthe Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) standard802.15.1 (e.g. Bluetooth), and the third wireless transceiver operatesin accordance with IEEE standard 802.11 (e.g. WiFi), in someembodiments.

The stationary module further includes, in some embodiments, a fourthwireless transceiver, and the mobile patient support apparatus furtherincludes a fifth wireless transceiver that is adapted to communicatewith the fourth wireless transceiver. In some of such embodiments, thefourth and fifth wireless transceivers are infrared transceivers.

In still other embodiments, the mobile patient support apparatus alsoincludes a sixth wireless transceiver adapted to communicate with thewireless access point of the computer network. In such embodiments, thestationary module is adapted to transmit the second unique identifier tothe mobile patient support apparatus using the fourth wirelesstransceiver, and the mobile patient support apparatus is adapted to notcommunicate the second unique identifier using the sixth wirelesstransceiver.

The signal that is transmitted over a cable to a nurse call systemindicates that a patient positioned on the mobile patient supportapparatus may be exiting the mobile patient support apparatus, in atleast one embodiment.

According to other aspects, the wired transceiver is in communicationwith a first port of the stationary module that is adapted to physicallycouple to a first end of the cable, and a second end of the cable isadapted to physically couple to a second port of the nurse call system.

In some embodiments, the stationary module is contained within a housingadapted to be mounted to a wall of a hospital room.

In at least one embodiment, the mobile patient support apparatus is abed, the sensor is a switch adapted to detect activation of a nurse callbutton on the bed, and the signal indicates that a patient on the beddesires to speak with a nurse. The bed may further include a microphoneand be adapted to transmit audio signals from the microphone to thestationary module using the first wireless transceiver. In such cases,the stationary module is adapted to transmit the audio signals to thenurse call system via the wired transceiver.

The bed may further include a scale adapted to detect a patient'sweight, wherein the bed is adapted to transmit the patient's weightusing the first wireless transceiver. In such cases, the stationarymodule is adapted to transmit the patient's weight to a server on thecomputer network using the third wireless transceiver.

In some embodiments, the mobile patient support apparatus furtherincludes a fourth wireless transceiver adapted to communicate with thewireless access point of the computer network. The mobile patientsupport apparatus transmits status data regarding the mobile patientsupport apparatus to the computer network using the fourth wirelesstransceiver.

The location detection system is configured in some embodiments toinclude a second mobile patient support apparatus. The stationary moduleis adapted to receive a third unique identifier from the second mobilepatient support apparatus and to transmit the second and third uniqueidentifiers to the wireless access point. The stationary module receivesthe third unique identifier via the third wireless transceiver.

According to another embodiment, a location detection system is providedthat includes a stationary module and a mobile patient supportapparatus. The stationary module is positioned at a fixed and knownlocation within a facility. The stationary module includes a firstunique identifier and a first wireless transceiver adapted to transmitthe first unique identifier. The mobile patient support apparatus has asecond unique identifier and a second wireless transceiver. The mobilepatient support apparatus is adapted to receive the first uniqueidentifier from the stationary module via the second wirelesstransceiver.

In some embodiments, the mobile patient support apparatus furtherincludes a data table that correlates the first unique identifier to theknown location within a healthcare facility. The mobile patient supportapparatus transmits the known location to a wireless access point of acomputer network using a third wireless transceiver. The data tablecorrelates the first unique identifier to a room number of thehealthcare facility. Still further, in some embodiments, the mobilepatient support apparatus is adapted to receive the data table from aserver coupled to the computer network. The data table is received atthe mobile patient support apparatus via the third wireless transceiver.In some embodiments, the mobile patient support apparatus requests thedata table from the server in response to a triggering event.

In other aspects, the mobile patient support apparatus only transmitsthe known location to the wireless access point of the computer networkif the mobile patient support apparatus and the stationary modulesuccessfully link to each other utilizing fourth and fifth wirelesstransceivers. The fourth and fifth wireless transceivers have a shortercommunication range than the first and second wireless transceivers.

According to another embodiment, a location detection system is providedthat includes a mobile patient support apparatus and a stationarymodule. The mobile patient support apparatus has a first uniqueidentifier and a first wireless transceiver. The mobile patient supportapparatus is adapted to transmit the first unique identifier via thefirst wireless transceiver. The stationary module is positioned at afixed location within a healthcare facility and includes a second uniqueidentifier and a second wireless transceiver adapted to receive thefirst unique identifier from the mobile patient support apparatus. Thestationary module also includes a data table that correlates the firstunique identifier to the fixed location within the healthcare facility.

In some embodiments, the stationary module is adapted to transmit thefixed location and the first unique identifier to a wireless accesspoint of a computer network using a third wireless transceiver. Thestationary module is also adapted to transmit the fixed location to themobile patient support apparatus via the second wireless transceiver, insome embodiments.

According to other aspects, the stationary module receives the datatable from a server coupled to the computer network. The stationarymodule receives the data table via the third wireless transceiver.

In some embodiments, the transmission of the fixed location to thewireless access point includes transmitting a room number of a room thatincludes the fixed location.

According to another embodiment, a patient support apparatus system isprovided that includes a stationary module, an off-board device, and apatient support apparatus having a support surface for supporting apatient thereon, a first transceiver for communicating with thestationary module, a second transceiver for communicating with theoff-board device, and a controller. The controller is adapted totransmit a unique identifier corresponding to the patient supportapparatus to both the stationary module and the off-board device. Thecontroller uses the first transceiver to communicate the uniqueidentifier to the stationary module, and the controller uses the secondtransceiver to communicate the unique identifier to the off-boarddevice.

In some embodiments, the off-board device is a server located on ahealthcare facility computer network, the first transceiver is aBluetooth transceiver, and the second transceiver is a WiFi transceiver.Further, in some embodiments, the stationary module forwards the uniqueidentifier to the server using a third transceiver positioned on-boardthe stationary module.

The stationary module transmits a unique stationary module identifier tothe server, in some embodiments, and the server uses the uniquestationary module identifier and the unique identifier to determine thelocation of the patient support apparatus within the healthcarefacility.

According to still another embodiments of the disclosure, a patientsupport apparatus system is provided that includes an off-board deviceand a patient support apparatus having a support surface for supportinga patient thereon, a first transceiver for communicating with theoff-board device, a second transceiver for communicating with theoff-board device, and a controller. The controller is adapted totransmit a first data item to the off-board device using the firsttransceiver, and to transmit a second data item to the off-board deviceusing the second transceiver. The first data item is different from thesecond data item.

In some embodiments, the off-board device is a server located on ahealthcare facility computer network.

The first data item is a unique identifier corresponding to the patientsupport apparatus and the second data item is a status of a component ofthe patient support apparatus, in at least some embodiments. The statusof the component may be any one or more of the following: a position ofa siderail, a state of a brake, a height of the support surface, and astate of an exit detection system.

In some embodiments, the patient support apparatus is further adapted totransmit the first data item to the off-board device using the secondtransceiver.

According to still another embodiment of the disclosure, a patientsupport apparatus system is provided that includes a stationary moduleand a patient support apparatus. The stationary module includes a firsttransceiver, a second transceiver, and a third transceiver. The patientsupport apparatus includes a support surface for supporting a patientthereon, a fourth transceiver for communicating with the firsttransceiver of the stationary module, and a controller. The controlleris adapted to transmit a data item to the stationary module using thefourth transceiver, and the stationary module is adapted to forward thedata item to both a first destination using the second transceiver andto a second destination using the third transceiver.

In some embodiments, the first destination is a headwall connector of anurse call system, and the second destination is a server located on ahealthcare facility computer network. The second transceiver may be awired transceiver and the third transceiver may be a wirelesstransceiver.

The data item indicates that an alert has issued regarding the patientsupport apparatus, in some embodiments.

The patient support apparatus may be further adapted to transmit asecond data item to the stationary module using the fourth transceiver,and the stationary module may be further adapted to forward the seconddata item to only one of the first and second destinations. The seconddata item is a unique identifier corresponding to the patient supportapparatus, in at least some embodiments.

Before the various embodiments disclosed herein are explained in detail,it is to be understood that the claims are not to be limited to thedetails of operation or to the details of construction and thearrangement of the components set forth in the following description orillustrated in the drawings. The embodiments described herein arecapable of being practiced or being carried out in alternative ways notexpressly disclosed herein. Also, it is to be understood that thephraseology and terminology used herein are for the purpose ofdescription and should not be regarded as limiting. The use of“including” and “comprising” and variations thereof is meant toencompass the items listed thereafter and equivalents thereof as well asadditional items and equivalents thereof. Further, enumeration may beused in the description of various embodiments. Unless otherwiseexpressly stated, the use of enumeration should not be construed aslimiting the claims to any specific order or number of components. Norshould the use of enumeration be construed as excluding from the scopeof the claims any additional steps or components that might be combinedwith or into the enumerated steps or components.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a location detection system for a mobilepatient support apparatus according to a first embodiment of thedisclosure;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the internal components of the variousstructures of the location detection system of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of the location detection system of FIG. 2shown with the patient support apparatus implemented as a bed and withthe system coupled to an illustrative example of a healthcare facility'sinformation technology (IT) infrastructure;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart of the location detection algorithm followed bythe components of the location detection system of FIG. 2 ;

FIG. 5 is a block diagram of the location detection system of FIG. 2expanded to determine the location of multiple patient supportapparatuses;

FIG. 6 is a block diagram of a modified location detection system shownwith the patient support apparatus implemented as a bed and the systemcoupled to an illustrative example of a healthcare facility's ITinfrastructure;

FIG. 7 is a flowchart of the location detection algorithm followed bythe components of the modified location detection system of FIG. 6 ; and

FIG. 8 is a block diagram of the internal components of the variousstructures of yet another modified location detection system.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

An illustrative example of a location detection system 20 according to afirst embodiment is shown in perspective view in FIG. 1 . Locationdetection system 20 includes a mobile patient support apparatus 22having a mobile wireless unit 24 and a stationary module 26. Forpurposes of visual description herein, patient support apparatus 22 isshown in the accompanying drawings as a hospital bed, but it will beunderstood that patient support apparatus 22 can be alternativelyimplemented as a cot, stretcher, chair, recliner, or other apparatusthat is capable of supporting a person. Indeed, location detectionsystem 20 can be applied to determine the location of other types ofmedical devices besides patient support apparatuses, such as, but notlimited to, thermal management systems such as shown in commonlyassigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 14/282,383 filed May 20, 2014by inventors Christopher J. Hopper et al. and entitled THERMAL CONTROLSYSTEM, the complete disclosure of which is hereby incorporated hereinby reference.

Patient support apparatus 22 of FIG. 1 includes a support surface 28 onwhich a mattress 30 is positioned to allow a person to lie or sitthereon. Patient support apparatus 22 further includes a base 32 havinga plurality of wheels 34 that allow patient support apparatus 22 to bemoved to different locations. Still further, patient support apparatus22 of FIG. 1 includes a headboard 36, a footboard 38, and a plurality ofsiderails 40.

The construction of patient support apparatus 22 may take on a widevariety of different forms. In some embodiments, other than thecomponents described below, patient support apparatus 22 is constructedin any of the manners described in commonly assigned, U.S. Pat. No.8,689,376 issued Apr. 8, 2014 by inventors David Becker et al. andentitled PATIENT HANDLING DEVICE INCLUDING LOCAL STATUS INDICATION,ONE-TOUCH FOWLER ANGELA ADJUSTMENT, AND POWER-ON ALARM CONFIGURATION,the complete disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein byreference. In other embodiments, those components of patient supportapparatus 22 not described below are constructed in any of the mannersdescribed in commonly assigned, U.S. patent application Ser. No.13/775,285 filed Feb. 25, 2013 by inventors Guy Lemire et al. andentitled HOSPITAL BED, the complete disclosure of which is also herebyincorporated herein by reference. Still further, in other embodiments,those components of patient support apparatus 22 not described below areconstructed in any of the manners disclosed in commonly assigned, U.S.patent application Ser. No. 14/212,009 filed Mar. 14, 2014 by inventorsChristopher Hough et al., and entitled MEDICAL SUPPORT APPARATUS. Instill other embodiments, patient support apparatus 22 takes on otherconstructions.

As shown in FIG. 1 , patient support apparatus 22 further includesmobile wireless unit 24. Mobile wireless unit 24 is adapted towirelessly communicate with stationary module 26. Stationary module 26is mounted to a fixed and known location within a healthcare facility,such as, but not limited to, a headwall 42 of a room 44. As will bediscussed in greater detail below, mobile wireless unit 24 andstationary module 26 are adapted to establish a communication link thatallows the location of patient support apparatus 22 within the facilityto be determined and/or communicated to one or more off-boarddevices/systems. In one embodiment, stationary module 26 includes aunique identifier that is transmitted to a wireless access point 46 ofthe healthcare facility's network 48 (FIG. 3 ). Stationary module 26also receives a patient support apparatus identifier that corresponds toa unique patient support apparatus 22 when the patient support apparatus22 is positioned within close proximity (e.g. within about 5-10 feet) tostationary module 26. Stationary module 26 also forwards this uniqueidentifier to the wireless access point 46. One or more servers 50 onthe computer network 48 include a map or data table that correlates thelocation of each stationary module 26 with each room, bed bay, or otherspecific location within the healthcare facility. Upon receipt of theunique stationary module identifier 98 and the unique patient supportapparatus identifier, the server 50 consults the map or data table anddetermines that that particular patient support apparatus 22 is in thelocation of the particular stationary module 26 that transmitted theidentifiers. In at least one embodiment, as will be discussed furtherbelow with respect to FIG. 3 , the patient support apparatus 22 does notsend any additional data to the stationary module 26 that is forwardedto server 50 other than the unique identifier or patient supportapparatus 22. Any further data from patient support apparatus 22 that isto be forwarded to server 50, or another device on network 48, isforwarded from patient support apparatus 22 directly to wireless accesspoint 46 without passing through stationary module 26.

One example of the internal components of both mobile wireless unit 24and stationary module 26 is shown in FIG. 2 . As can be seen, mobilewireless unit 24 includes a controller 52 that is in electricalcommunication with a radio module 54, as well as a headwall hardwareinterface 56, a mobile locator transceiver 58, a main patient supportapparatus controller 60, an audio amplifier 62, a microphone 64, and adisplay 66. Audio amplifier 62, in turn, is in electrical communicationwith one or more speakers 68. Controller 52 of mobile wireless unit 24,as well as main controller 60 of patient support apparatus 22, may takeon a variety of different forms, such as, but not limited to,commercially available off-the-shelf microcontrollers.

For example, in one embodiment, controller 52 is any one of the i.MXfamily of system-on-chip (SoC) processors, and main controller 60 isanyone of the Kinetis K60 family of microcontroller units (MCUs), bothof which are marketed by Freescale Semiconductor of Austin, Tex. Othertypes of commercially available microcontrollers may also be used. Stillfurther, controllers 52 and 60 may take on still other forms, such asany combination of any one or more microprocessors, field programmablegate arrays, systems on a chip, volatile or nonvolatile memory, discretecircuitry, and/or other hardware, software, or firmware that is capableof carrying out the functions described herein, as would be known to oneof ordinary skill in the art. Such components can be physicallyconfigured in any suitable manner, such as by mounting them to one ormore circuit boards, or arranging them in other manners, whethercombined into a single unit or distributed across multiple units. Theinstructions followed by controllers 52 and 60 in carrying out thefunctions described herein, as well as the data necessary for carryingout these functions, are stored in one or more accessible memories (notshown).

Main controller 60 is responsible for carrying out the overalloperations of patient support apparatus 22, while controller 52 isresponsible for carrying out the communication between patient supportapparatus 22 and stationary module 26. In some embodiments, a singlecontroller that combines the functions of main controller 60 andcontroller 52 is used. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 2 , maincontroller 60 is in communication with one or more indicators scale/exitdetection system 70, one or more sensors 72, and one or more motors 74.Scale/exit detection system 70 is adapted to measure the weight of apatient support on patient support apparatus 22 and/or to detect whenthe patient is about to exit, or has exited, patient support apparatus22. In at least one embodiment, scale/exit detection system 70 is acombined scale and exit detection system that is constructed anddesigned in the manner disclosed in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No.5,276,432 issued to Travis and entitled PATIENT EXIT DETECTION MECHANISMFOR HOSPITAL BED, the complete disclosure of which is herebyincorporated herein by reference.

Sensors 72 include sensors that are adapted to detect parameters ofpatient support apparatus 22, such as, but not limited to, the status ofa brake for wheels 34; the height of support surface 28 relative to base32; the status (raised or lowered) of one or more siderails 40; thearmed or disarmed state of exit detection system 70; and/or otherparameters. Motors 74 provide movement to one or more components ofpatient support apparatus 22, such as, but not limited to, raising andlowering the height of support surface 28 relative to base 32, and/orraising and lowering one or more sections of support surface 28. As willbe discussed in greater detail below, main controller 60 is adapted toforward information from one or more of sensors 72 to controller 52 ofmobile wireless unit 24 for forwarding to either stationary module 26 orto wireless access point 46.

Controller 52 of mobile wireless unit 24, in addition to being incommunication with main controller 60, is also in communication withaudio amplifier 62 for purposes of delivering audio signals to speakers68. Such audio signals include the audio signals received by mobilewireless unit 24 from stationary module 26 that correspond to the voiceof a caregiver who is speaking from a remote location, such as a nurses'station 78, to an occupant of patient support apparatus 22. Further, insome embodiments, controller 52 may send audio signals to audioamplifier 62 and speakers 68 that are received from other sources, suchas from a server (e.g. server 50 or some other server) located on localarea network 48 of the healthcare facility in which patient supportapparatus 22 is positioned.

When an occupant of patient support apparatus 22 wishes to speak to acaregiver at a remote location via the facility's nurse call system 76,he or she speaks into microphone 64. Controller 52 digitizes the audiosignals from microphone 64 and forwards them to either radio module 54or to headwall interface 56, depending upon what type of wiredconnection exists at a nearby headwall connector 80. A cable 82 runsfrom headwall connector 80 to either stationary module 26 or to patientsupport apparatus 22, depending upon how a particular healthcarefacility has decided to implement location detection system 20. If cable82 runs between patient support apparatus 22 and headwall connector 80,controller 52 forwards the digitized audio signals to headwall hardwareinterface 56, which in turns forwards them over cable 82 to headwallconnector 80. If cable 82 runs between headwall connector 80 andstationary module 26, then controller 52 forwards the digitized audiosignals to radio module 54, which in turn wirelessly transmits them tostationary module 26. Stationary module 26 then forwards them toheadwall connector 80 via cable 82.

Radio module 54 detects when a wireless link exists between itself andstationary module 26. A message indicating the existence ornon-existence of this link is forwarded by radio module 54 to controller52. Similarly, headwall hardware interface 56 also detects when a wiredlink (e.g. cable 82) is present between interface 56 and headwallconnector 80. Headwall hardware interface 56 forwards a message tocontroller 52 indicating the existence or non-existence of this link.Controller 52 utilizes these messages from radio module 54 and interface56 to determine how to route data that is to be transmitted off ofpatient support apparatus 22.

Headwall connector 80 is part of, or electrically coupled to, aconventional nurse call system 76. Headwall connector 80 is aconventional connector that often includes 37 pins adapted to beinserted into 37 mating sockets of cable 82, or vice versa. Such 37 pinconnections are one of the most common types of connectors found onexisting headwalls of medical facilities for making connections to thenurse call system 76 and/or environmental controls 84 (e.g. television,temperature, curtains, etc.). Such 37 pin connectors, however, are notthe only type of connectors, and it will be understood that headwallconnector 80 can include a different number of pins.

Mobile wireless unit 24 communicates wirelessly with stationary module26 via radio module 54. In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2 , radiomodule 54 includes four separate transceivers: a Bluetooth transceiver(IEEE 802.15.1) 86 a, a WiFi transceiver (IEEE 802.11) 88 a, a ZigBeetransceiver (IEEE 802.15.4) 90 a, and a 900 MHz transceiver 92 a. Itwill be understood that the number of transceivers within radio module54 can vary from the four shown in FIG. 2 , and that the protocols usedfor the transceivers can take on different forms than those illustratedin FIG. 2 . Radio module 54 communicates wirelessly with a radio module94 contained within stationary module 26. In the illustrated embodiment,radio module 94 includes two transceivers: a Bluetooth transceiver 86 bthat communicates with Bluetooth transceiver 86 a of mobile wirelessunit 24 and a WiFi transceiver 88 b that communicates with wirelessaccess point 46 (FIG. 3 ). In some alternative embodiments, stationarymodule 26 also includes a ZigBee transceiver 90 b that communicates withZigBee transceiver 90 a of mobile wireless unit 24 and a 900 MHztransceiver 88 b that communicates with 900 MHz transceiver 88 a ofmobile wireless unit 24.

In addition to the components previously described, mobile patientsupport apparatus 22 includes a unique identifier 96 (FIG. 2 ) thatdistinguishes one patient support apparatus 22 from another, and also,in some embodiments, distinguishes a specific patient support apparatus22 from other types of patient care devices that may be utilizinglocation detection system 20. Stationary module 26 also includes aunique identifier 98 that distinguishes each particular stationarymodule 26 from other stationary modules 26. At the time of installationof location detection system 20, stationary modules 26 are mounted atfixed locations throughout a healthcare facility, such as, but notlimited to, headwalls 42 in patient rooms. Once mounted, the locationsof each stationary module 26 within the facility are surveyed and storedelectronically in a data table or map. As will be discussed more below,this data table or map is stored, in at least some embodiments, onserver 50. In other embodiments, however, it is stored elsewhere and/orduplicated and stored in multiple locations.

Mobile patient support apparatus 22 and stationary module 26 eachfurther include a short range locator transceiver 100 a and 100 b,respectively. In at least one embodiment, short range locatortransceivers 100 a and 100 b are infrared transceivers that are able tocommunicate with each other when they are positioned in line of sightwith each other, and within a relatively short range of each other, suchas, but not limited to, five to ten feet. Short range locatortransceivers 100 a and 100 b, identifiers 96 and 98, and the data tableor map are used to determine the location of patient support apparatus22 within a facility in several different manners, one of which isexplained in more detail below with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4 .

FIG. 3 illustrates an illustrative example of a first embodiment of alocation detection system 20 that is configured for determining thelocation of a patient support apparatus 22 that is implemented as a bed.FIG. 4 illustrates a flowchart of steps taken by various components ofthe location detection system 20 of FIG. 3 that are used to determinewhich room 44 (and/or bay) patient support apparatus 22 of FIG. 3 islocated in. More specifically, FIG. 4 illustrates a first locationdetection algorithm 104 executed by location detection system 20according to a first embodiment. Location detection algorithm 104includes three components: a patient support apparatus algorithm 106, astationary module algorithm 108, and a server algorithm 110. Patientsupport apparatus algorithm 106 is executed by controller 52 of patientsupport apparatus 22. Stationary module algorithm 108 is executed by acontroller 112 (FIG. 2 ) on board stationary module 26. Server algorithm110 is executed by a server located outside of room 44, such as, but notlimited to, server 50.

Location detection algorithm 104 begins at an initial step 114 whenpatient support apparatus 22 detects a triggering event. The specifictriggering event may vary. In some embodiments, the triggering event isthe application of the brakes on board patient support apparatus 22. Inother embodiments, the triggering event is the plugging in of an ACpower cable on board the patient support apparatus 22 to an AC walloutlet. In still other embodiments, the both of these events aretriggering events and/or still other triggering events are used.

Regardless of the specific triggering event, once it is detected bypatient support apparatus 22, controller 52 moves onto step 116 where itsends out an interrogation signal. The interrogation signal is sent outvia short range locator transceiver 100 a and is configured to bedetected by a stationary module 26. Because it is sent out via shortrange transceiver 100 a, it is only detected by a stationary module 26if the patient support apparatus 22 is within close proximity tostationary module 26 (e.g. within the same room, or adjacent aparticular bay within a room if the room is semi-private and adapted toaccommodate multiple patients). The interrogation signal includespatient support apparatus ID 96.

Short range locator transceiver 100 b of stationary module 26 receivesthe interrogation signal from patient support apparatus 22 and passes itto controller 112. Controller 112 executes stationary module algorithm108 in response to receipt of this interrogation signal. Controller 112begins this algorithm at step 118, where it responds to theinterrogation signal. This response is sent from stationary module 26via short range locator transceiver 100 b. In at least one embodiment,this response includes the patient support apparatus identifier 96 thatwas received at stationary module 26 from patient support apparatus 22in the interrogation message. This identifier 96 is used to address theresponse to the specific patient support apparatus 22 that broadcast theinterrogation signal at step 116. This ensures that, in the unlikelyevent that multiple patient support apparatuses 22, or other medicaldevices, are within communication range of stationary module 26, theresponse message is processed by only the originator of theinterrogation message.

After responding to the interrogation message at step 118, controller112 of stationary module 26 proceeds to step 120 where it transmits boththe patient support apparatus identifier 96 and its stationary module ID98 to server 50. This transmission is done wirelessly, in at least oneembodiment. More specifically, in at least one embodiment, controller112 uses WiFi transceiver 88 b to transmit the identifiers 96 and 98from stationary module 26 to a wireless access point 46 (FIG. 3 ) ofhealthcare facility network 48. Once the identifiers 96 and 98 reachaccess point 46, they are forwarded via the internal routing proceduresof network 48 to server 50, which is part of the network 48.

Server 50 begins server algorithm 110 at step 122 when it receives theidentifiers 96 and 98 from stationary module 26 via network 48 andwireless access point 46. Server 50 uses the identifiers 96 and 98 todetermine the location of the patient support apparatus 22 within thehealthcare facility at step 124. This is done with reference to the datatable or map described previously that was generated during installationof stationary modules 26. As noted, this data table identifies the roomand/or bays of each stationary module 26 with the healthcare facility.When server 50 receives a particular pair of identifiers 96 and 98, itslooks in the table to determine where in the healthcare facility thestationary module 26 having that particular identifier 98 is located.Once the location of that particular stationary module 26 is identified,server 50 associates that location with the patient support apparatus 22having the identifier 96 that was transmitted with the identifier 98. Inother words, upon receipt of a message from a particular stationarymodule 26 wherein the message includes that particular stationary moduleidentifier 98 and a corresponding patient support apparatus identifier96, server 50 concludes that the particular patient support apparatus 22having ID 96 is located at the same location as that particularstationary module 26. This conclusion is justified because, as notedearlier, patient support apparatus 22 is only able to communicate withstationary module 26 when it is within close range, and indeed, isunable to communicate with other stationary modules 26 that may bewithin the same room, but are positioned at other bays or otherdesignated areas. Thus, the fact that patient support apparatus 22 wasable to forward its ID 96 to module 26, which in turn forwarded it toserver 50, is an indication that patient support apparatus is locatedclose to module 26.

Returning to the patient support apparatus algorithm 106, controller 52of patient support apparatus 22 proceeds to step 126 after transmittingits interrogation signal at step 116. At step 126, patient supportapparatus 22 awaits receipt of a message from stationary module 26acknowledging receipt of its interrogation signal. Once patient supportapparatus 22 receives this acknowledgement at step 126, controller 52 ofpatient support apparatus 22 considers patient support apparatus 22 andstationary module 26 to be linked together.

After this linkage is established, controller 52 moves to step 128 whereit transmits patient support apparatus data to server 50 via WiFitransceiver 88 a (FIGS. 3 and 4 ) and wireless access point 46. Suchdata includes status data regarding any one or more of the followingcomponents of patient support apparatus 22: siderails 40 (e.g. up ordown), a brake for wheels 34 (e.g. braked or unbraked), support surface28 (e.g. its height), scale/exit detection system 70 (e.g. whether thesystem is armed, disarmed, alerting, or not alerting), sensors 72,motors 74, and still other components. Such data may also include dataregarding the patient, such as the patient's weight, the patient's vitalsigns, one or more therapies or protocols performed on the patient whileon or near the patient support apparatus 22, and other patient data.Regardless of its specific content, the transmission of such data bypatient support apparatus 22 at step 128 includes the transmission ofpatient support identifier 96.

In addition to transmitting patient support status at step 128 to server50, controller 52 of patient support apparatus 22 also transmits nursecall audio and alerts to nurse call system 76, as appropriate. Thetransmission of such audio and/or alerts takes place in one of twodifferent manners. When a cable 82 is connected between headwallhardware interface 56 of patient support apparatus 22 and headwallconnector 80, controller 52 transmits the patient support apparatusstatus data at step 130 first to headwall hardware interface 56, whichforwards the information via cable 82 to headwall connector 80, and fromthere it is passed to nurse call system 76. Alternatively, if a cable 82is connected between stationary module 26 and headwall connector 80,controller 52 transmits the patient support apparatus status data atstep 130 first to radio module 54, which forwards the data wirelessly toradio module 94 of stationary module 26. (This latter situation isillustrated in FIG. 3 , although it will be understood that the locationof cable 82 in FIG. 3 can be modified to extend directly from patientsupport apparatus 22 to connector 80). From radio module 94, controller112 of stationary module 26 forwards the data to a headwall hardwareinterface 132 of stationary module 26. Headwall hardware interface 132forwards the data via cable 82 to connector 80, which then passes thedata to nurse call system 76. In at least one embodiment, thetransmission of such data from radio module 54 to radio module 94 takesplace via a Bluetooth protocol (e.g. IEEE 802.15.1).

At step 134 of server algorithm 110, server 50 receives the data frompatient support apparatus 22. After receiving this data, server 50proceeds to step 136 where it associates the data it received at step134 with either the location of stationary module 26 or a particularpatient associated with patient support apparatus 22. Such locationassociation is carried out using the pairing of identifiers 96 and 98that were received by server 50 at step 122. That is, when server 50receives identifiers 96 and 98 at step 122, it knows that the patientsupport apparatus 22 with the identifier 96 is located at the locationof stationary module 26, and that any future data received from thepatient support apparatus 22 with identifier 96 at step 134 is datacoming from the location of the stationary module 26 having theidentifier 98.

If server 50 associates the data received at step 136 with a particularpatient, rather than a location, it does so by consulting anotherdatabase that maintains a log of the current locations of particularpatients within the healthcare facility. This database may be stored inanother server on network 48, such as an Admission, Discharge, andTracking (ADT) server, or some other server, which forwards the relevantinformation to server 50. In other embodiments, this database may bestored elsewhere. Regardless of its location, server 50 uses thisdatabase correlating patients to locations to associate the datareceived at step 136 with a particular patient.

Once the data received at step 136 is associated with either a locationor a patient (or both), server 50 proceeds to step 138 where it storesthe received data and/or forwards it to one or more other networkdevices (e.g. servers). For example, in at least one embodiment, server50 is configured to automatically forward patient information to anelectronic medical records (EMR) server. In such an embodiment, server50 associates the incoming data from a particular patient supportapparatus 22 at step 134 with a patient identifier at step 136. Onceassociated, server 50 forwards this data to the EMR server for entryinto that particular patient's electronic medical record.

In the embodiments shown and described with respect to FIGS. 3 and 4 ,the stationary module identifier 98 is never forwarded from patientsupport apparatus 22 to server 50 via the WiFi transceiver 88 a on-boardpatient support apparatus 22. Instead, as noted, stationary moduleidentifier 98 is forwarded to server 50 from stationary module 26itself.

From the description provided herein of the location detection system 20of FIGS. 3 and 4 , it can be seen that patient support apparatus 22forwards its identifier 96 to two different entities using two differenttypes of transceivers. That is, it forwards its identifier 96 to shortrange locator transceiver 100 b using its own short range locatortransceiver 100 a, and it also forwards its identifier 96 to server 50via WiFi transceiver 88 a and wireless access point 46. Althoughforwarded to two different entities using two different communicationprotocols, the identifier 96 arrives at the same destination: server 50.Server 50, as noted above, uses the identifier 96 to determine thelocation of the patient support apparatus 22 using the message receivedfrom stationary module 26. Server 50 also uses the identifier todetermine what location and/or patient to associate the data with thatit receives from patient support apparatus 22 at step 134.

It will be understood that, in a typical healthcare facility, server 50will be in communication with a plurality of stationary modules 26 andassociated patient support apparatuses 22. One such example is shown inFIG. 5 . Room 44 of FIG. 5 includes a first patient support apparatus 22a and a second patient support apparatus 22 b. Patient support apparatus22 a and patient support apparatus 22 b each individually carry outalgorithm 106 (FIG. 4 ). Similarly, stationary modules 26 a and 26 beach individually carry out algorithm 108. Server 50, in turn, carriesout algorithm 110 with respect to each of these different supportapparatuses 22 a, 22 b, and modules 26 a, 26 b. That is, server 50determines the locations of each of support apparatuses 22 a and 22 band associates the data received from each of them at step 134 eitherwith their location or with the patient who is associated with supportapparatuses 22 a and 22 b. Location detection system 20 can, of course,be applied to facilities having more than two patient supportapparatuses 22. Indeed, location detection system 20 can be utilizedwith other devices besides patient support apparatuses 22, as mentionedpreviously.

Another embodiment of a location detection system 20 a is depicted indiagram form in FIG. 6 . The location detection algorithm 104 a followedby the components of location detection system 20 a are shown in theflowchart of FIG. 7 . Those components of location detection system 20 athat are the same as the components of location detection system 20 arelabeled herein with the same reference numbers as system 20. Similarly,those steps of algorithm 104 a that are the same as the steps ofalgorithm 104 are labeled with the same reference numbers. Thosecomponents or steps of system 20 a and algorithm 104 a that have beenmodified in some fashion as compared to system 20 and/or algorithms 104have been labeled with the same reference number followed by the letter“a.” Finally, those components or steps of system 20 a and algorithm 104a that are completely new have been provided a new reference number.

Location detection system 20 a differs structurally from locationdetection system 20 in that patient support apparatus 22 c does notinclude a WiFi transceiver 88 a. Instead, patient support apparatus 22 ccommunicates data to server 50 using stationary module 26 as anintermediary. This is described in greater detail below with respect tolocation detection algorithm 104 a.

Location detection algorithm 104 a differs from location detectionalgorithm 104 in that it includes modified steps 128 a, 120 a, and 122a, as well as new step 140. With reference to FIG. 7 , algorithm 104 abegins with a patient support apparatus algorithm 106 a at step 114,which is the same as step 114 of algorithm 104, and need not bedescribed further. Patient support apparatus algorithm 106 a thenproceeds to steps 116 and 126, which are the same as previouslydescribed. Patient support algorithm 106 a differs from algorithm 106when it reaches modified step 128 a. At step 128 a, patient supportapparatus transmits the patient support apparatus data wirelessly tostationary module 26 using, in at least one embodiment, Bluetoothtransceiver 86 a. This differs from step 128 where patient supportapparatus 22 transmits its patient support apparatus data to wirelessaccess point 46 (and from there to server 50) using WiFi transceiver 88a. Thus, algorithm 106 a differs from algorithm 106 in that patientsupport apparatus 22 c transmits its data to stationary module 26 usinga Bluetooth transceiver 86 a, rather than to wireless access point 46using a WiFi transceiver 88 a (which patient support apparatus 22 c doesnot have, as noted above).

Stationary module algorithm 108 a differs from algorithm 108 in that itincludes the new step 140 of receiving the transmitted patient supportapparatus data from patient support apparatus 22 c. This transmitteddata includes the patient support apparatus identifier 96. Uponreceiving this data at step 140, controller 112 of stationary module 26proceeds to modified step 120 a, where it transmits—in addition topatient support apparatus identifier 96 and stationary module identifier98—the patient support apparatus data received at step 140. Theseitems—identifiers 96, 98, and the patient support apparatus data—aretransmitted at step 120 to wireless access point 46 via WiFi transceiver88 b on board stationary module 26. The patient support apparatus dataincludes any of the data previously mentioned and described above withrespect to algorithm 104.

Server algorithm 110 a includes the same steps as server algorithm 110with the exception of a modified step 122 a and the omission of step134. Step 122 a differs from step 122 in that server 50 also receives atstep 122 a the patient support apparatus data from stationary module 26.As shown in FIG. 4 , this patient support apparatus data is received byserver 50 at step 134 from patient support apparatus 22 itself inalgorithm 104. The patient support apparatus data therefore follows adifferent path to server 50 in algorithm 104 a than it follows inalgorithm 104.

It will be understood that the transmission of patient support data atsteps 128, 128 a in both algorithms 104 and 104 a may take placerepetitively. That is, the transmitted data can occur repeatedly whilethe patient support apparatus 22, 22 a-c is positioned at particularlocation. It is not necessary for another triggering event to occur atstep 114 before such additional data is transmitted. Thus, for example,when any status data regarding patient support apparatus 22, 22 a-c, orthe patient associated therewith changes, additional data may betransmitted off of patient support apparatus 22, 22 a-c.

It will further be understood that the transmission of nurse call audioand alerts to nurse call system 76 at step 130 of algorithm 104 a canoccur in either of two ways—as described previously with respect toalgorithm 104—depending upon whether cable 82 is coupled betweenstationary module 26 and headwall connector 80 or between patientsupport apparatus 22, 22 a-c and headwall connector 80.

FIG. 8 illustrates the internal details of another modified locationdetection system 20 b. Those components of location detection system 20b that are the same as the components of location detection systems 20and/or 20 a are labeled herein with the same reference numbers assystems 20 and/or 20 a. Those components of system 20 b that have beenmodified in some fashion as compared to systems 20 and/or 20 a have beenlabeled with the same reference number followed by the letter “a” or“b.”

Location detection system 20 b differs from location detection systems20 and 20 a in that it includes a modified stationary module 26 c.Stationary module 26 c differs from stationary module 26 in that it doesnot include a headwall hardware interface 132. Stationary module 26 ctherefore is not capable of receiving a nurse call cable 82. As aresult, stationary module 26 c does forward any data received frompatient support apparatus 22 onto headwall connector 80. Any data ormessages from patient support apparatus 22 that are destined to headwallconnector 80 (and any of the downstream components, such as nurse callsystem 76, nurses' station 78, and/or the entertainment controls 84) aretransmitted from patient support apparatus 22 via cable 82. All of theother components of stationary module 26 c are the same as thecomponents of stationary module 26.

Location detection system 20 b may follow either location algorithm 104or location algorithm 104 a. The only modification to these algorithmsis that step 130 is carried out via the cable 82 running from patientsupport apparatus 22 to connector 80, rather than wirelessly, as is anoption for location detection systems 20 and 20 a. This is because, asnoted, stationary module 26 c does not include structure for receiving acable 82 and therefore all communication between patient supportapparatus 22 and nurse call system 76 (or the entertainment controls 84)bypasses stationary module 26 c via cable 82.

It will be understood by those skilled in the art that various othermodifications may be made to location detection systems 20, 20 a, and 20b. For example, in one such modification, the data table or map thatcorrelates the identifiers of each stationary module 26 (or 26 c) withinthe healthcare facility is stored onboard each patient support apparatus22. In such modified embodiments, the step of associating a patientsupport apparatus 22 to a particular location—which is carried out instep 136 by server 50 in algorithms 104 and 104 a—is carried out bypatient support apparatus 22 (or 22 a-c). With such a modification, itis not necessary for patient support apparatus 22, 22 a-c—to transmitits identifier 96 to wireless access point 46 or to server 50. Instead,any data or messages that are to be communicated from patient supportapparatus 22, 22 a-c to wireless access point 46 and/or to server 50 areinstead transmitted with the location of patient support apparatus 22,22 a. In other words, instead of transmitting its identifier with eachmessage, patient support apparatus 22, 22 a-c transmits its locationwith each message. The transmitted location may be a room number, or itmay be the combination of a room and a bed bay identifier within theroom. In still other situations, stationary modules 26, 26 c may bepositioned at locations other than in rooms, and the transmittedlocation may take on other forms, such as “hallway X,” or “elevator Y,”or still other forms.

When server 50 receives the messages and data from the patient supportapparatus 22, 22 a-c, it uses the location information transmittedtherewith to correlate the transmitted messages and/or data with thecorrect patient. That is, as noted previously, server 50 eithercontains, or has access to, a database that identifies patientsaccording to their room number and/or bed bay number. By determining thepatient from the transmitted location, server 50 is able to determine,for example, what electronic medical record to file certain thereceiving information with and/or what caregiver is assigned to thatpatient, and/or still other information.

In any of the various embodiments described herein, radio modules 54 and94 include transceivers that are able to transmit binary data packets ata rate of at least 10 kilobits per second with a delay of less than 100milliseconds. Further, the modules include transceivers that are used tocommunicate audio signals and that have a bandwidth of at least 8kilohertz and transmits the audio signals with less than 400milliseconds of delay. Other bandwidths and delay thresholds can, ofcourse, be used for either or both sets of transceivers.

In still other embodiments, stationary module 26 may be modified so asto communicate wirelessly with headwall connector 80, instead of usingcable 82. Such wireless communication between stationary module 26 andheadwall connector 80 is described in more detail in commonly assignedU.S. patent application Ser. No. 62/035,656 filed Aug. 11, 2014 byinventors Krishna Bhimavarapu et al. and entitled PATIENT SUPPORTAPPARATUSES WITH WIRELESS HEADWALL COMMUNICATION, the completedisclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference.

In still other embodiments, mobile wireless unit 24 is a unit that isphysically separate from patient support apparatus 22, 22 a-c but isadapted to be selectively plugged into and unplugged from patientsupport apparatus 22, 22 a-c (such as, but not limited to, a dongle).For example, in one embodiment, mobile wireless unit 24 is plugged intothe connector in headwall hardware interface 56 that is otherwise usedto couple cable 82 between patient support apparatus 22, 22 a-c andconnector 80. Thus, if a wireless connection to connector 80 is desired,mobile wireless unit 24 is plugged into headwall hardware interface 56instead of a cable. This enables wireless communication between patientsupport apparatus 22, 22 a-c and stationary module 26 without having tomake any modifications to patient support apparatus. When soconstructed, mobile wireless unit 24 can therefore be used to convertexisting patient support apparatuses 22 that do not include wirelesscommunication abilities into patient support apparatuses that arecapable of wireless communication. Further, when so constructed, mobilewireless unit 24 communicates with main controller 60, audio amplifier62, and mobile locator transceiver 58 via headwall hardware interface56, rather than directly (as it does in the embodiment shown in FIG. 2).

It will be understood that radio modules 54 and 94 can be modified toinclude a different number of transceivers than what is shown in FIG. 2, as well as one or more transceivers that use different wirelesscommunication protocols from those shown in FIG. 2 . It will also beunderstood that the use of the term “transceiver” herein is intended tocover not only devices that include a transmitter and receiver containedwithin a single unit, but also devices having a transmitter separatefrom a receiver, and/or any other devices that are capable of bothtransmitted and receiving signals or messages.

In at least one embodiment, in addition to sending signals received frommobile wireless unit 24 of patient support apparatus 22 to headwallconnector 80, stationary module 26 is also adapted to forward signalsreceived from headwall connector 80 via cable 82 to mobile wireless unit24 of patient support apparatus 22. Stationary module 26 is thereforeadapted, in at least one embodiment, to provide bidirectionalcommunication between patient support apparatus 22 and headwallconnector 80. Such bidirectional communication includes, but is notlimited to, communicating audio signals between a person supported onpatient support apparatus 22 and a caregiver positioned remotely frompatient support apparatus 22 (which is accomplished by stationary module26 forwarding the audio signals of the person on patient supportapparatus 22 to nurse call system 76, and vice versa).

As was noted above with respect to algorithms 104 and 104 a, patientsupport apparatuses 22, 22 a-c are adapted to transmit patient supportapparatus data in steps 128 and 128 a, respectively. In algorithm 104,this status data is transmitted to server 50 via WiFi transceiver 88 aon-board the patient support apparatus, which forwards the data to awireless access point 46, which in turn forwards it to 50. In algorithm104 a, this status data is first transmitted to stationary module 26 viaBluetooth transceiver 86 a, and stationary module 26 then transmits thisdata to server 50 via its own WiFi transceiver 88 b. In at least someembodiments, patient support apparatuses 22, 22 a-c are adapted to alsotransmit some or all of this status data to nurse call system 76. Insuch embodiments, this data is transmitted to nurse call system 76 inone of two ways, depending upon whether cable 82 is coupled to patientsupport apparatus 22, 22 a-c or to stationary module 26. When cable 82is coupled to the patient support apparatus, controller 52 sends thisdata, or a portion of it, to headwall hardware interface 56, which thenforwards the data via cable 82 to connector 80, from which it thentravels to nurse call system 76. When cable 82 is coupled to stationarymodule 26, controller 52 sends this data, or a portion of it, to radiomodule 54, which then forwards it via Bluetooth transceiver 86 a tostationary module 26. Stationary module 26 then forwards it to its ownheadwall hardware interface 132 (FIG. 2 ), which passes the data viacable 82 to connector 80 and nurse call system 76.

In such embodiments, it can therefore be seen that at least some of thedata transmitted at step 128 of algorithm 104 is sent off of the patientsupport apparatus 22, 22 a-b via two different methods. One such methodis the transmission of the data by way of headwall hardware interface56, cable 82, and connector 80 to nurse call system 76 (or alternativelyby way of Bluetooth transceiver 86 a, stationary module 26, headwallhardware interface 132, and connector 80 to nurse call system 76).Another such method is the transmission of the data by way of WiFitransceiver 88 a and wireless access point 46 to server 50.

It can also be seen that at least some data transmitted at step 128 a ofalgorithm 104 a is sent off of the patient support apparatus 22 c viatwo different methods, in at least some embodiments. One such method isthe transmission of the data by way of headwall hardware interface 56,cable 82, and connector 80 to nurse call system 76. Another such methodis the transmission of the data by way of Bluetooth transceiver 86 a,stationary module 26, WiFi transceiver 88 b, and wireless access point46 to server 50.

Still further, it can also be seen that, at least in some embodiments,patient support apparatuses 22, 22 a-c are adapted to transmit the samedata to two different locations. In such embodiments, some of the datais transmitted to nurse call system 76 and some of the same data istransmitted to server 50. Still further, in some embodiments, thetransmission of the data to these two different locations isaccomplished via the patient support apparatus transmitting the data viadifferent on board transceivers (e.g. Bluetooth transceiver 86 a, WiFitransceiver 88 a, and/or headwall hardware interface 56), while in otherembodiments, the patient support apparatus 22 transmits the data onlyonce to stationary module 26 and stationary module 26 splits the datafor forwarding to both nurse call system 76 and to server 50.

In the embodiment of location detection system 20 shown in FIGS. 2-5 ,stationary module 26 communicates the data and signals it receives frommobile wireless unit 24 to connector 80 by directing the incoming dataand signals it receives to the appropriate pin or pins of headwallconnector 80. For example, when headwall connector 80 includes 37sockets for coupling to a 37 pin plug, or vice versa, it is common forpin numbers 30 and 31 of connector 80 to be used for indicating a“priority alert,” which is often synonymous with an alert that is issuedwhen a patient exits from patient support apparatus 22. Further,depending upon the particular configuration that has been implemented ata particular healthcare facility, the connection between pin numbers 30and 31 may be normally open or it may be normally closed. Regardless ofwhether it is normally open or normally closed, whenever stationarymodule 26 receives a message from mobile wireless unit 24 that a personhas exited from patient support apparatus 22, stationary module 26changes the status of pins 30 and 31 such that they switch from whateverstate they are normally in to their opposite state. Stationary module 26therefore reacts to the exit message it receives from mobile wirelessunit 24 by either opening or closing pins 30 and 31. The nurse callsystem 76 that is communicatively coupled to headwall connector 80interprets this opening or closing of pins 30 and 31 in the same manneras if a cable were coupled between patient support apparatus 22 andheadwall connector 80, such as by sending the appropriate signals to oneor more nurse's stations, flashing a light outside the room of patientsupport apparatus 22, forwarding a call to a mobile communication devicecarried by the caregiver assigned to the occupant of patient supportapparatus 22, and/or taking other steps, depending upon the specificconfiguration of the nurse call system.

In addition to sending data indicating that an occupant of patientsupport apparatus 22 has exited, or is about to exit, from supportsurface 28, mobile wireless unit 24 is configured, in at least oneembodiment, to wirelessly send to stationary module 26 at least thefollowing additional messages: messages to turn on or off one or moreroom lights; messages to turn on or off one or more reading lights;messages to increase or decrease the volume of a nearby television set;messages to change a channel of the nearby television set; and messagescontaining audio packets generated from one or more microphones on thepatient support apparatus 22 into which an occupant of patient supportapparatus 22 speaks when desiring to communicate with a remotecaregiver.

In other embodiments, mobile wireless unit 24 is configured towirelessly send to stationary module 26 any one or more of the followingmessages, either in addition to or in lieu of any one or more of themessages previously mentioned: messages indicating the current status ofone or more siderails 40 of patient support apparatus 22 (e.g. whetherthe side rails are up or down, or have changed position); messagesindicating the current status of a brake on patient support apparatus22; messages indicating the current status of the height of supportsurface 28 relative to base 32 (e.g. such as whether support surface 28is at its lowest height or not); messages indicating the current angleof a head section of support surface 28 that is adapted to support apatient's torso and head; messages indicating the current status of exitdetection system 70 (e.g. whether the exit detection system is armed ornot); messages indicating the current charging status of one or morebatteries on patient support apparatus 22; messages indicating thecurrent status of an alternating current (A/C) power cable on patientsupport apparatus 22 (e.g. whether it is plugged in or not); diagnosticinformation about patient support apparatus 22; and/or any othermessages containing information about patient support apparatus 22 whichmay be useful to communicate to a remote location.

In at least one embodiment, stationary module 26 is further configuredto transmit information to headwall connector that does not originatefrom patient support apparatus 22, but instead is generated internallywithin stationary module 26. For example, in one embodiment, stationarymodule 26 is adapted to forward to headwall connector 80 an alertwhenever the communication link between stationary module 26 and mobilewireless unit 24 is unintentionally lost. In other embodiments,stationary module generates any one or more of the following messages tobe sent to mobile wireless unit 24: the charge status of a battery 142(FIGS. 2, 8 ) contained within stationary module 26; acknowledgements ofmessages transmitted from mobile wireless unit 24 to stationary module26; and messages used to establish, maintain, and disestablish thecommunication link between mobile wireless unit 24 and stationary module26. Still other types of signals that originate from within stationarymodule 26 may also be sent to headwall connector 80.

When stationary module 26 is coupled via cable 82 to connector 80, it isalso adapted, in at least some embodiments, to forward the followingmessages to wireless unit 24 based on information it receives fromheadwall connector 80: messages indicating the establishment anddisestablishment of a nurse-call communication link (e.g. messages usedfor turning on and off a “nurse answer” light on patient supportapparatus 22); and messages containing audio packets of a caregiver'svoice (generated from a microphone into which the caregiver speaks andforwarded to the appropriate pins of connector 80).

It will be understood that, in those embodiments of location detectionsystem 20 where patient support apparatus 22 communicates status data tostationary module 26, such as during step 128 a of algorithm 106 a (FIG.7 ), patient support apparatus 22 can be configured to utilize thestationary module unique identifier 98 to ensure that patient supportapparatus 22 does not communicate with an incorrect stationary module26. For example, with specific reference to FIG. 5 where two stationarymodules 26 a and 26 b are present in a single room 44, theacknowledgement from stationary module 26 a that first patient supportapparatus 22 a receives at step 126 will include the unique identifier98 of stationary module 26 a. Patient support apparatus 22 a uses thisunique identifier 98 as an address in subsequent communications withstationary module 26 a, such as during step 128 a. The use of thisunique identifier 98 ensures that, for example, if stationary module 26b inadvertently detects the transmission from patient support apparatus22 a to stationary module 26 a, stationary module 26 b will know thatthis message is not intended for it because it is addressed tostationary module 26 a. The unique stationary identifiers can thereforebe used to ensure that wireless messages between patient supportapparatuses 22 and stationary modules 26 that use any of the longerrange transceivers (e.g. not transceiver 100) are only acted upon bytheir intended recipients.

In some embodiments, when stationary module 26 are initially installedwithin a room of a healthcare facility, the unique identifiers 98 of themodules 26 are input into these modules 26. The inputting of this datainto each of modules 26 may take on a variety of different forms, suchas by setting appropriate dip switches on each of module 26 thatcorresponds to their unique identifier 98; uploading the uniqueidentifiers 98 via a USB port, or other type of electronic port,integrated into each stationary module 26; having each stationary module26 connect to a server on a local area network using, for example, WiFitransceiver 88 b, and downloading from the server the correspondingunique identifiers 98; or by other means. Regardless of the manner ofinputting this information, each stationary module 26 is configuredduring set-up to have stored in its memory a unique identifier 98 thatdistinguishes itself from the unique identifiers 98 of the otherstationary modules 26.

Various additional alterations and changes beyond those alreadymentioned herein can be made to the above-described embodiments. Thisdisclosure is presented for illustrative purposes and should not beinterpreted as an exhaustive description of all embodiments or to limitthe scope of the claims to the specific elements illustrated ordescribed in connection with these embodiments. For example, and withoutlimitation, any individual element(s) of the described embodiments maybe replaced by alternative elements that provide substantially similarfunctionality or otherwise provide adequate operation. This includes,for example, presently known alternative elements, such as those thatmight be currently known to one skilled in the art, and alternativeelements that may be developed in the future, such as those that oneskilled in the art might, upon development, recognize as an alternative.Any reference to claim elements in the singular, for example, using thearticles “a,” “an,” “the” or “said,” is not to be construed as limitingthe element to the singular.

What is claimed is:
 1. A patient support apparatus comprising: a supportsurface adapted to support a mattress; a sensor adapted to detect aparameter of the patient support apparatus; a wireless transceiveradapted to communicate with a stationary module positioned at a knownlocation within a healthcare facility; a network transceiver adapted tocommunicate with a server on a computer network via a wireless accesspoint of the computer network; and a controller adapted to transmitfirst audio signals via the wireless transceiver to the stationarymodule for forwarding to a nurse call system, to receive second audiosignals via the wireless transceiver from the stationary module forforwarding to a speaker onboard the patient support apparatus, and totransmit status data indicative of the detected parameter to the servervia the network transceiver.
 2. The patient support apparatus of claim 1further comprising an exit detection system adapted to detect when apatient exits the patient support apparatus, and wherein the parameteris an alert issued by the exit detection system when the patient exitsfrom the patient support apparatus.
 3. The patient support apparatus ofclaim 1 further comprising an exit detection system adapted to detectwhen a patient exits the patient support apparatus, and wherein theparameter indicates whether the exit detection system is armed or not.4. The patient support apparatus of claim 1 wherein the wirelesstransceiver is a Bluetooth transceiver.
 5. The patient support apparatusof claim 1 further including a plurality of siderails adapted to bemoved to a plurality of different positions.
 6. The patient supportapparatus of claim 5 wherein the parameter indicates a current positionof at least one of the siderails.
 7. The patient support apparatus ofclaim 5 wherein the parameter indicates a current height of the supportsurface.
 8. The patient support apparatus of claim 5 further comprisinga plurality of wheels and a brake adapted to selectively brake at leastone of the wheels, and wherein the parameter indicates a current stateof the brake.
 9. The patient support apparatus of claim 1 wherein thewireless transceiver is adapted to receive a location identifier fromthe stationary module, and the controller is adapted to transmit thelocation identifier to the server via the network transceiver.
 10. Thepatient support apparatus of claim 9 wherein the location identifier isunique to the stationary module, and the server includes a data tablethat correlates the location identifier to a location of the stationarymodule within the healthcare facility.
 11. A patient support apparatussystem comprising: a patient support apparatus and a stationary modulepositioned at a known location within a healthcare facility, wherein thepatient support apparatus comprises: (a) a support surface adapted tosupport a mattress; (b) a sensor adapted to detect a parameter of thepatient support apparatus; (c) a headwall interface adapted tocommunicatively couple to a nurse call cable; and (d) a controlleradapted to transmit status data indicative of the detected parameter tothe headwall interface; and wherein the stationary module comprises: (i)a multi-pin connector adapted to be electrically coupled to a walloutlet of the nurse call system; and (ii) wireless transceiver adaptedto receive first audio signals from the patient support apparatus forforwarding to the multi-pin connector, and to transmit second audiosignals to the patient support apparatus for forwarding to a speakeronboard the patient support apparatus.
 12. The patient support apparatussystem of claim 11 wherein the patient support apparatus furthercomprises an exit detection system adapted to detect when a patientexits the patient support apparatus, and wherein the parameter is analert issued by the exit detection system when the patient exits fromthe patient support apparatus.
 13. The patient support apparatus systemof claim 11 wherein the patient support apparatus further comprises anexit detection system adapted to detect when a patient exits the patientsupport apparatus, and wherein the parameter indicates whether the exitdetection system is armed or not.
 14. The patient support apparatussystem of claim 11 wherein the wireless transceiver is a Bluetoothtransceiver.
 15. The patient support apparatus system of claim 11wherein the patient support apparatus further includes a plurality ofsiderails adapted to be moved to a plurality of different positions. 16.The patient support apparatus system of claim 15 wherein the parameterindicates a current position of at least one of the siderails.
 17. Thepatient support apparatus system of claim 11 wherein the parameterindicates a current height of the support surface.
 18. The patientsupport apparatus system of claim 11 wherein the patient supportapparatus further comprises a plurality of wheels and a brake adapted toselectively brake at least one of the wheels, and wherein the parameterindicates a current state of the brake.
 19. The patient supportapparatus system of claim 11 wherein the controller is adapted toreceive a location identifier from the stationary module, and thecontroller is adapted to transmit the location identifier to a server ona computer network via a wireless access point of the computer network.20. The patient support apparatus system of claim 19 wherein thelocation identifier is unique to the stationary module, and the serverincludes a data table that correlates the location identifier to alocation of the stationary module within the healthcare facility.